Spring dancing-floor.



No. 791,792. 'PATENTED JUNE 6, 1905;

R. E. JEFPERY.

SPRING DANCING FLOOR. APPLICATION FILED 313.27. 1905.

UNITED STATES Iatented :une i905.

PATENT OFFICE.

SPRING DANCING-FLOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,792, dated June 6, 1905. Application filed February 2'7, 1905. Serial No. 247,487.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RIoHARD E. J EFFERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grass Valley, in the county of Nevada and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring Dancing-Floors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an elastic floor. V

It consists in combinations of parts and in details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a perspective view of my floor.

The object of my invention is to provide an elastic floor for any purpose for which such floor may be required. Such floors are very desirable in halls where dancing takes place.

' In my invention I provide the necessary elasticity and permanency of the floor in the following manner: The floor-joists A extending across the space to be covered by the floor are of sufiicient depth and thickness and are laid sufficiently near each other to provide such supporting strength as is necessary. Upon these joists boards 2 are then laid. These boards may be of suitable width and thickness. I have found that'ordinary floor-boards having a width of about six inches are very suitable for the purpose. These boards are made of such length as to extend over two of the spaces, and the center of each board is firmly secured to the center joist A, as at 3, and the abutting ends of the contiguous boards rest upon the joists which are intermediate of those to which the boards are fastened, as

shown at 4:. These abutting ends are not fastened and allow for a certain amount of movement without breaking or straining the fastenings. 5 represents similar boards having a length equal to the width of the floor-space if possible. These boards are fastened upon the boards 2 at points substantially midway between the joists A. Thus the boards 5 being supported upon the boards 2, which rest upon the joists, will have a certain amount of elasticity imparted to them by reason of the spring: of the boards 2 between the joists. At the same time the boards 5 will have an elasticity of their own between the boards 2. These boards having been laid, the floor-boards 6 are then laid in any usual or suitable manner and are securely fastened to the boards 5. The thickness of the boards 2 and 5 is such that the floor-boards 6 are raised above the surface of the joists A a distance equal to that thickness, and the flooring 6 is only fastened to the boards 5. Thus the flooring 6 has an elasticity due to the distance between the boards 5. The boards 5 again have an elasticity due to the distance between the boards 2, and the boards 2 have an independent elasticity due to the distance between the joists A. Thus all parts of the floor combine to provide a very desirable elasticity of surface, and the distance between the fioor 6 and the joists A is sufiicient to prevent their ever being depressed sufficicnt to come into contact with the joists. The portion of the floor laid in this manner need not extend to the walls of the room or hall, and the space not covered by the elastic floor may be covered by an ordinary solid floor, which will serve to support the seats used by dancers and spectators and relieve this portion of the disagreeable oscillations whichwould otherwise take place.

It should be understood that other material may be substituted for boards, such as thin steel-plates, the object being in any case to provide supports for the floor which will yield by reason of their peculiar connection and support.

Having thus described my invention, what I'claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is V 1. A floor consisting of parallel separated joists, boards laid transversely to the joists parallel with each other, said boards having the centers secured to a joist and the ends abutting upon the centers of joists upon each side of the one to which they are fixed, other boards extending parallel with the joists and secured to the first-named boards, said secondnamed boards serving as a support for the supplemental close flooring.

2. An elastic floor, consisting of boards laid closely-to form a surface, other boards laid transversely intermediate of and parallel with rigid supporting-joints, and supports extending between the joists to which the second close floor secured to the last-named boards boards are secured, transversely ofthe joists.

3. In a spring-floor; rigid parallel joists, IHUtBSlSiHlODYi whereof I havehcreunto set boards having a length equal to the space bemy hand in presence of two subscribing Wita 5 tween three of the joists and having their ends nesses.

supported Without fastening, and their cen- V ters securedto the intermediate joists,vboards RHHARD JEFFERY' extending transversely of the firstnamed Witnesses:

boards and secured thereto intermediate of HENRY P. TRICOU,

I the joists with which they are parallel} anda S; H. NoURsE. 

